The present disclosure relates to vehicle closures having an openable window pane, and more particularly relates to an improved sensor assembly and method for detecting or sensing the position of an openable pane in a sliding vehicle door.
Sliding doors on vehicles are increasingly equipped with a glass window pane that is openable. More particularly, the window pane of these types of sliding doors can move up and down as desired. Movement of the window pane can be controlled by a window regulator, such as an x-type window regulator.
One concern with these types of doors having openable window panes is the need to prevent or limit opening of the sliding door when the door's window pane is open. This is necessary to prevent a person or object from being caught between the door sash framing the open window and the body pillar that forms a side of the door opening in the situation where the person or object extends through the opening vacated by the window pane.
One prior art design allows a sliding vehicle door to completely open when the door pane is completely closed or when the door pane is opened less than a predetermined amount, such as an amount less than would allow a passenger head to stick out the open window. When the window is open beyond this predetermined amount, the slide door is prevented from being fully opened by a door stopper mechanism. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,477,806, expressly incorporated herein by reference.